The well-built hitman is bound to end his loan spell at Wigan Athletic on a low note, and yet, a summer return to the White Knights seemed miles away from happening.

What makes Zaki's statements totally absurd is that a day earlier, his personal manager Mohamed Saied said four Premiership clubs made solid offers to land the Bulldozer in August.

I found it extremely hard to believe the 26-year-old prefers Zamalek to his Premiership suitors, so I tried to speculate what could have driven him to consider a comeback to the Cairo club.

One of the plausible reasons I thought of is that Zaki's manager made false claims just to spare the player's blushes after the Latics' loud and clear refusal to extend his stay.

Saied unveiled the British quartet's bids only several hours after Wigan boss Steve Bruce ruled out the possibility of signing the Mansoura-born marksman on a permanent basis.

For this reason, the announcement of the offers sounded more like a response to Wigan's decision rather than a revelation about Zaki's potential destinations.

The four British clubs are so far anonymous, and Saied's story wouldn't be substantiated unless the alleged overtures were officially confirmed in the near future.

But there is another likely possibility.

Zaki might be contemplating a home return after he felt homesick, like so many of his compatriots who couldn't settle down abroad.

Many Egyptian footballers failed to adapt to the European lifestyle and environment throughout the past decade, which caused them to underachieve with their respective clubs.

Bruce referred on several occasions that England's winter freeze has hampered Zaki's progress midway through the season.

The language barrier was another problem that Zaki has undoubtedly faced since arriving at Wigan, and he's most probably still struggling to communicate with indigenous players and acquaintances alike.

In terms of skills and physicality, he came across as a revelation, but lack of adaptation is what could have resulted in his inconsistency.

In all cases, Zaki needs to ponder his next move.

The talented front-man raised some eyebrows in the first half of the season at the JJB Stadium with some scintillating performances.

For my money, a return to Zamalek would be a huge demotion, even after his dip in form.